Why not put them outside in a small tray with water in the bottom? Make sure the cups have small holes in the bottom of them and then put them in a small tray or dish with 1/2”-3/4” water in the bottom and put them in the sun. The problem might not be so much sunlight but soil temp. Squash like it warm.
“Why not put them outside in a small tray with water in the bottom? The problem might not be so much sunlight but soil temp. Squash like it warm.”
I had them in a tray in paper cups with holes in the bottom and around the lower part of the cup, with water in the tray. The soil got wet so poured the water out of tray but made sure the soil did not dry out. Putting them outside in 102-105 temp. I figured would cook them, plus have to keep double netting over them due to squirrels/birds eating the seeds.
Today, I put the one with the seed that seems to be germinating in the small greenhouse outside without zipping up the greenhouse. Still think it will get too hot in there for the seed. Today it is cloudy so seed won’t get too hot.
The house is cool so maybe put the seeds outside under the roofed deck and cover them with net. That will keep them warm but not in the blistering sun. Once they are up, could put them for a brief period in the sun, then put them back under the roof.
That’s why I’m thinking the grow light assembly would work inside without all the watching and moving and watching. This unit, actually the four foot long one instead of the two foot I posted, has a fluorescent grow light that one puts close to the seeds to warm them before they come up. When they sprout, the light is moved up (it’s on a pulley set up), as the plant grows.
It appears plants like lettuce can stay there and grow during winter for food.
Since it's not so hot, I stayed out there and transplanted 5 Mortgage Lifter tomato plants from the big tomato planter to 5 gal. containers. I still have four in the big tomato planter. I'll take out two more when I get potting soil in two more 5 gal. bag containers so there will be only two in that big planter. I wonder if I left three in there if that would be too many in that container? I think I will leave three and see what happens.
I have screwed up over and over many times, but I want to make all my mistakes now, so come before next spring, I know how to do this.
I actually grew these tomato plants from seed - imagine that, my first time for tomatoes and all seeds germinated. I did that by putting them under the roof and moving them every day into sun and back again and covering all the time to keep the varmints out. It would be much easier if this 4 ft. grow light set-up would warm the seeds and they germinate inside and grow to transplant stage inside.
I did read from one fellow so far who put this unit in his basement and grew lettuce to eat in winter. I have several types of lettuce seed so I could try that.
Our heat is so bad in this part of Texas, it just stops me from being outside. Another thing I did in the cloudy period today was get bags of potting soil mix out of the trunk of my car. They have been in there a month and I couldn't stand the heat in the time it would take to get them out. Now, they are out.
I left them in the house to fill the tomato barrel I'm putting the squash in.